Magic Rebound To Top Bucks

Orlando Beats Uninspired Milwaukee

December 29, 1992|By Tim Povtak of The Sentinel Staff

The head coach didn't even bother to come to the game, going to Hawaii to scout players instead. The starting center was ejected senselessly just when the game could have become interesting. If it sounds as if the Milwaukee Bucks didn't really have their hearts in their work Monday night, you're probably right.

The Orlando Magic, good enough now to capitalize on an uninspired opponent, pounded the Bucks, 110-94, to open a seven-game homestand at Orlando Arena.

A lesson they learned in a troublesome loss at Miami on Saturday - they can't win if they don't rebound - proved useful as the Magic took control late in the second period and never were seriously challenged.

The Magic (13-10), who were outrebounded badly against the Heat, outjumped, outhustled and outfought the Bucks for every rebound Monday, holding a 61-30 advantage.

''In order to have a chance, we have to rebound,'' said assistant coach Frank Hamblen, who replaced head coach Mike Dunleavy. ''And tonight we didn't even come close.''

Magic center Shaquille O'Neal had 21 points and a game-high 14 rebounds, getting plenty of help from all sides.

Small forward Dennis Scott had a game-high 25 points, including five 3-pointers, and six rebounds. Power forward Tom Tolbert had a season-high 12 rebounds, 8 points and a career-high 3 steals.

Even guard Nick Anderson, who left the game early with a bruised knee, had eight rebounds with his 12 points. Scott Skiles had 16 points, 12 assists and 4 rebounds. Five reserves combined for 17 rebounds.

''Shaq can't get every rebound,'' Anderson said. ''When we give him good help around the boards, we can be a very good team.''

The Bucks (11-15) were led by forward Blue Edwards and guard Eric Murdock, who each had 18 points. No one for Milwaukee had more than five rebounds.

''The rebound advantage was just a culmination of everyone boxing out, fighting, working, scrapping,'' Tolbert said. ''When we do that together, everything else kind of falls into place.''

The Bucks, who snapped their 11-game losing streak Saturday, never got closer than five points early in the third quarter and never closer than nine in the fourth. The Magic did have 22 turnovers, which would have been costly against a better team.

''We should have gotten control of the game a lot sooner. We're just not capitalizing on our fast breaks like we should,'' Magic coach Matt Guokas said. ''We put all this effort into the defensive end and didn't take advantage of it at the other end. That can be a little deflating.''

A lot of things went wrong for Milwaukee. Starting center Frank Brickowski was ejected with 5:04 remaining and his team trailing by 11. Brickowski didn't like an offensive foul called against him, so he threw the ball hard in the direction of official David Jones, who immediately sent him to the locker room.

The Bucks, with seven new players on the 12-man roster, have been consistently outrebounded this season, but never like this. Although no one said he was troubled by Dunleavy's absence, the Bucks played as if they were. Dunleavy is also the team's general manager.

''When you look at the big picture, he's just trying to put a team on the floor that can win,'' Edwards said. ''When you're the boss, you have to sacrifice something.''

Anthony Bowie, who didn't even play in four of the past five games, got his first meaningful minutes since earlier this month. He had 13 points and four rebounds in 19 minutes, playing as the backup to Anderson.